My favorite dessert ever — as I’ve mentioned a couple of times. Possibly my favorite food. In fact, when we eat dinner the girls love to play the game “what’s your favorite food”? They always say “mom’s favorite food is ice cream“. I can’t argue!

This Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream recipe is from the Dreena Dazs chapter in Let Them Eat Vegan. Yes, ice cream deserves its own chapter. 🙂

In the spirit of pumpking-everything, I’m sharing this recipe with you to enjoy through the fall and into the holidays. This ice cream might just be everything! The taste of pumpkin pie in a dreamy, luscious ice cream. Seriously. Everything.

Yes, you do need an ice cream maker for this recipe. In theory you can try stirring it throughout the freezing process if you don’t have an ice cream maker. However, it will be more work and the final product will not be quite as beautifully creamy.

I have this attachment to the Kitchenaid mixer for my ice cream maker. It works well, and is not terribly expensive. It also doesn’t take up a lot of extra space. If you already have a Kitchenaid mixer, this might be a handy tool.

In a blender, combine all the ingredients, except the add-ins, and puree until very, very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Transfer the mixture to an ice- cream maker (follow the directions of the specific model), and churn until the mixture is of soft-serve consistency. If using add-ins, add during last couple of minutes of churning. Serve, or freeze to firm more.

Sugar Note: You can start with 2⁄3 cup of sugar, and then after blending the mixture (before churning), taste for sweet- ness. If you think you’d like the ice cream sweeter, add the additional sugar. Keep in mind that the room-temperature ice-cream mixture will taste sweeter than when frozen. I usually use close to the 3⁄4 cup measure of sugar. Makes about 3 ¾ – 4 cups.

I’d love to know what you think of the recipe… enjoy!! x Dreena

p.s. I’ll be at London VegFest this weekend. I’m super excited to be part of the event this year. Hope to see some of you there!

Each one delicious in its own right. But all together? Blissfully delicious!

Proof: THREE’s COMPANY PIE!

This vegan pie recipe is easy to make and soooo irresistible! The recipe is originally from Let Them Eat Vegan. Since many of you have mentioned you love this chocolate/pb/banana vegan food trio, I decided to pop it up on the blog for you.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Fit a metal or glass bowl over a saucepan on medium-low heat and fill with several inches of water (or use a double boiler). Add the chocolate chips to bowl and stir occasionally as water simmers (not boils), letting chocolate melt. While chocolate is melting, in a food processor, first combine peanut butter with the banana, process through, and then add the cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Puree, scraping down sides and base of bowl as needed to incorporate the sticky peanut butter. Then add milk and puree through again until fully incorporated (again scraping sides and base of bowl to work in stickier parts of mixture). Once chocolate is melted, add to food processor and puree with peanut butter mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Pour mixture into pie crust (scraping out all filling) and tip pie back and forth gently to distribute filling. Bake for 20 minutes. The pie will be firmer around the edges and a little looser in the center, but it will set further as it cools. Carefully remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool completely (refrigerate if needed) before adding toppings. In a small bowl, toss banana slices with juice. Then layer bananas (very random, rustic) on pie, use a fine sieve to dust the cocoa powder over top bananas, and then sprinkle the peanuts over top of everything. Slice and serve!

In my last post I announced I’ll be judging the pies category for the Earth Balance Holiday Bake-Off. So, it’s only appropriate that I share a pie recipe with you all, yes?

Before I do, I want to clarify my role with this bake-off. I am not being compensated by Earth Balance to judge or promote this bake-off. I did receive some sample products (peanut butters, snacks), but I’m not receiving any financial compensation. I didn’t disclose this in my last post, and want you all to know that I’m supporting this bake-off to (1) help encourage people to move into vegan baking, and (2) also to encourage you all to enter the contest. Please do!

With that, I’ll share my recipe for Dreena’s Pecan Pie. This is a recipe from Let Them Eat Vegan. I loved pecan pie in my pre-vegan days. Did you?

With this version, I keep the pecan topping more distinct from the custardy filling. I like having that contrast with the creamy filling and the pecans maintaining crunch (rather than plumping through baking). This is delicious on its own, but oh-my-heavens, pair it with a vegan vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert bliss!

In a saucepan, first whisk together the arrowroot and agar with a small amount of the coconut milk or non-dairy milk (about ¼ cup). Once incorporated, whisk in the remainder of the milks, as well as the brown rice syrup, agave nectar, flax meal, nutmeg, and salt. Bring mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Once at a boil, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool in refrigerator to a cooler temperature (can still be fairly warm), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix together the topping ingredients. Set aside and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once filling is cooled somewhat, pour mixture into the pie shell (scraping out all you can!) Bake (without pecan topping) for 15 minutes. After that time, reduce heat to 350, sprinkle on pecan mixture, ever so gently patting into surface of filling. Bake for another 15 minutes, then carefully remove and let cool on a cooling rack. Once pie is fully cooled, it will set (refrigerate if desired). Slice and serve. Serves 6-8.

Pecan Note: If using whole pecans, it’s helpful to roughly chop them before using in the recipe. It’s easier to cut the pie with the pecan pieces broken up rather than kept whole. I prefer this pie with just 1¼ cups of pecans, but if you really love plenty of pecans in your pecan pie, use the full 1 3/4 cups. If using the greater amount of pecans, then also use the greater amount of sugar and oil to toss through the pecans.

How do we do it, moms? Day in, day out, we are master jugglers, keeping things running (relatively) smoothly. Can you imagine if we took a few days off? I mean completely off? Result: sheer mayhem.

We can at least take time off for Mother’s. I sure plan to do so. Other years, I’ve continued to carry on with most of the things I need to do in a day. This past year I’ve learned to treat myself better. Some self-care. Whether that means spending a little money on myself, or spending a little time with myself. It also includes being aware when I jump in to fix or take care of something, or checking in when I’m feeling unnecessary guilt. I’m not entirely zen with, but I’ve definitely grown.

So, this Sunday, I may do a little shopping and then just hang out with the family. We have our wee girl’s birthday party on Saturday, followed by her actual birthday on Monday (I labored all Monther’s Day with her 6 years ago!), and then my book officially launches on Wednesday! Indeed, I shall enjoy some me time on Sunday.

I don’t expect the kiddos and hubby to make a breakfast or brunch for me. Actually, I’d prefer if they didn’t. Not sure I want to look at the mess or how long it takes them to tidy it up. 😉 But, if you have cooks in your family, here’s hoping they cook up something special for you this Mother’s Day! Or, perhaps you might like to plan a brunch for your own mum. If so, I have two incredibly delicious vegan recipes for you!

For those that enjoy a sweeter breakfast, I’m sharing my Cinnamon French Toast recipe from Plant-Powered Families. If you prefer a savory breakfast, you’ll enjoy this Potato Shallot Frittata from Let Them Eat Vegan.

If you like a bit of sweet and savory… get your order into the kitchen. I say you deserve both.

I remember French toast fondly from childhood. It was the “treat” breakfast we had as kids, probably far easier for our parents to make than pancakes, and a great way to use up odds and ends of bread. This version is much healthier than what I ate as a kid, and I tell you our girls love it just the same.

In a blender or using a handheld blender, puree the milk (starting with 1 cup; see note), chia, cashews, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sea salt until very smooth and thick (it will get thicker as it sits a little while and the chia swells). Prepare a nonstick skillet by wiping over with a touch of oil (you need a nonstick skillet, or this will be a sticky event!). Turn heat to high for a few minutes to heat up the pan, then reduce to medium/medium-high. Dip a slice of bread into the batter. Turn over and let it sit in the chia mixture for a few moments to soak, then remove and place in the skillet. Repeat with other slices, frying 2–3 pieces or more at a time, depending on the size of your skillet. Fry for 3–5 minutes on each side, until light brown. Keep the heat high enough to get a good sear/crust on the bread, but reduce if it’s scorching. Note that the slices will be sticky until they are ready to be flipped, so be patient. Repeat until all bread is used. Serve with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup.

Serving Idea: Another fun serving idea is to make sandwiches out of the French toast, slathering some nut butter between two slices, then serving with maple syrup. Serves 3-4.

Bread Note: You may use 6–10 slices of bread, depending on the size of the slices.

Milk Note: After the batter sits for a few minutes it can become quite thick. You can stir through another 1–2 tablespoons of milk if it has gotten too thick with standing (if you have less than half the batter left, use just 1 tablespoon).

Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet over medium heat, add the water shallots, potatoes, sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through and golden, about 15-20 minutes (add a teaspoon or two of water if potatoes are sticking, to deglaze the pan). Add the bell pepper and cook through for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender (see note), add the cashews, milk, lemon juice, garlic, miso, ground mustard, salt and pepper, tofu, dill seeds, and agar. Blend until smooth and creamy. Once vegetables are cooked, transfer to a bowl and stir in the tofu mixture (scrape out as much of the tofu batter as possible, and use another 1-2 tbsp of milk if needed to help loosen the mixture), as well as the fresh thyme/oregano. Transfer mixture to a lightly oiled glass pie plate (or other baking dish), and smooth out. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of fritatta. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, then set oven to broil and cook for another couple of minutes to crisp up the topping slightly. Remove from oven and let cool about 10-15 minutes, then cut in wedges or scoop portions to serve. Serves 4-6.

Note: I use a Blendtec for the pureeing, and so it easily and quickly smooths out the tofu along with the cashews and other ingredients. If you don’t have a Blendtec, you will need to first blend the cashews with the milk and lemon juice until smooth, using an immersion blender or standard blender. Then, add the tofu and remaining ingredients to the blender (or food processor, if having trouble smoothing with the blender) and blend until very smooth.

Do you have a favorite Mother’s Day recipe or food tradition? Please share!

p.s. I have a VERY special Mother’s Day giveaway coming up next week. Hint: Both these recipes use a blender! A new fancy appliance for mom’s day would be awesome, huh?

Often times, you guys remind me of my own recipes. When I get an email or tweet from you about a recipe you are loving, I’m reminded to share more about those dishes, right here.

And I appreciate those notes, especially right now! Between preparing for my book launch in May, reviewing final book edits, preparing for Christmas, and managing endless momma to-do’s… my mind is scattered. Terribly scattered. (Moms, please reassure me that you are feeling the same out there with holiday prep!)

When I feel scattered like that, there is something grounding about posting a “tried and true” recipe.

Last week I heard from a few of you about this Warmly Spiced Quinoa Chickpea Stew recipe from Let Them Eat Vegan. It’s a great one-pot plant-based dish that is very nourishing. Though the ingredient list is long, it doesn’t mean the recipe is difficult. Once you assemble the spices, the rest of the prep is rather easy.

This stew is also the kind of dish that hits the spot when we are eating more processed foods and sweets during the holidays. The warm, earthy spices and nutrient-dense ingredients help us feel more balanced when our diet doesn’t feel so balanced. Healthy comfort food, I guess! Adult comfort food, for sure.

This is good straight up, hot out of the pot with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios (shown), or chopped almonds or some pine nuts. It’s also delicious with a little drizzle of Maple-Balsamic Sauce…. just a touch, a little goes a long way.

Enjoy the recipe, guys! x Dreena

Warmly Spiced Quinoa Chickpea Stew

This dish is a cross between a casserole and a stew. It is cooked stove-top, much like a stew, but is much more like a casserole in texture. The quinoa and chickpeas are simmered with warm, earthy spices, and balanced with the sweetness of dried figs and sautéed fennel. Serves 4-5 or more depending on accompaniments.

In a large pot over medium heat, add the water, onion, red pepper, fennel, garlic, salt, pepper, curry powder, fennel seed, paprika, dried basil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir through, cover, and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine, bring to a boil and let boil for a couple of minutes. Then add quinoa, chickpeas, water (start with 2 cups) and bay leaf and stir through. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/medium-low, cover and let cook for 18-22 minutes. Once quinoa is cooked, and most of the liquid is absorbed, stir in dried figs, remove from heat and let sit for 3-4 minutes. If the liquid is absorbed but quinoa isn’t tender, add the extra ¼ cup of water and cook another few minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve, with a sprinkling of nuts if desired.

Red Pepper Note: If you don’t have red pepper, you can substitute chopped carrot or winter squash like butternut, though the red pepper adds a nice color contrast with the other ingredients.

Quinoa/Water Note: If the liquid is absorbed but quinoa isn’t tender, add the extra ¼ cup of water and cook another few minutes.

Cooking Tip: After this dish is cooked, keep it covered before and after serving portions. It will get a little dry if left uncovered. Also, as it stands, the heat from the pot will continue to cook the quinoa and so it will absorb more water and get drier. If needed, have some water boiled in your kettle, so you can stir a couple of tablespoons before getting a second helping!

This week I realized it’s the middle of August. I haven’t posted an ice cream recipe. #gasp!

If you know my work, you know ice cream is my favorite treat. Favorite. If there is another dessert to be had – cake, pie, cookies – it better be paired with ice cream!

In my early cooking days I watched a lot of Bobby Flay cooking episodes (I learned a lot about flavor combinations from his and a few other key cooking shows). I’ve heard him express a similar sentiment about ice cream, that he would choose ice cream anytime over any other dessert. Yes. Exactly.

I do buy a lot of vegan ice creams. Coconut Bliss is one of my favorite brands (hellosalted caramel chocolate), but I’m also very fond of Amy’s, So Delicious, and Nada Moo. There’s something special about making your own ice cream, though. It tastes – well – homemade. You can customize to your sweetness and ingredient preferences, and you can taste the love!

Tricky thing is most homemade ice cream recipes require an ice cream maker, and many of us don’t have this appliance (or we may not want to pull it out any given day)! I have a full ice cream chapter in LTEV, but most use the ice cream maker. This Chocolate Gelato needs no ice cream maker. It benefits from a high-speed blender, but more of us in the vegan and plant-based world have a rambo blender!

This is also one of those gem recipes that just “came together”. I tested it one day as a pudding, throwing a few ingredients together, and using dates as the sweetener (with my chocolate chia pudding in mind). It literally took 5 minutes to make. I decided to freeze it, just to see how it would turn out. To my delight it froze beautifully. With 5 simple ingredients, and 5 minutes of prep (excepting freezing time), I was happy to retest. And retest. And retest. 😉

This is by far the easiest frozen dessert I’ve ever made. It doesn’t require an ice cream maker, and it’s still scoop-able after freezing! It tastes so good after blending, you can opt to enjoy as a chocolate mousse or pudding straight away – or freeze to a soft-set for gelato.

In a high-speed blender (I use Blendtec and the twister jar), combine all ingredients (see note if using a standard blender). Puree until very smooth. Transfer to a container to freeze (see note for mousse/pudding ideas). It will take 4-5 hours to freeze to a firm set, but will soft-set like a gelato in less time (about 2-3 hours). Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Coconut Milk Note: Use regular coconut milk (rather than light) from a can in this recipe. Before using refrigerate it overnight, or for a few days. The thick cream will rise to the top and be easy to scoop and measure. Use only the thick cream.

Date Note: Dates must be soft to easily puree. Some pitted dates can be old and dry. If your dates aren’t soft, try presoaking them in non-dairy milk for a half-hour or so until they soften.

Vanilla Note: I prefer the flavor of vanilla seeds or pure ground vanilla bean, but you can also use vanilla extract if you want to add that touch of flavor.

Blender Note: A standard blender may have difficulty churning the dates and frozen bananas into a smooth mix. You might want to first process the bananas and dates in a food processor, adding a small amount of the milk and then transferring to a blender to achieve a smoother puree.

Idea: As a mousse, try serving topped with fresh fruit or layered in a parfait glass with Vanilla Cashew Yogurt!

It feels like forever since I last posted. If you could see a glimpse of my life, well, I’m not going to pretend I’m keeping it all together in fine fashion. With the girls having summer break, puppy training, doing the photo shoot for the cover of “Plant-Powered Families” (and twice!), a couple of family health incidents (everything’s ok now), and editing my book… it’s been crazytown!

And the editing, oh the editing. So. Sloooooow.

But I won’t drone on about all that. Wait. I have. 😉 Well then! I’ll now stop and get too the yummy goods. Because I’ve had these pretty photos and recipe ready to share for far too long.

We’ve been in a breakfast rut lately interchanging whole-grain waffles with oatmeal, always paired with green smoothies. I haven’t been testing a lot of breakfast recipes, and we are in this summer haze of changing schedules and seemingly endless disorganization. But, when I do break out of the waffle/oatmeal breakfast rut, the girls are especially giddy.

These Vanilla Cashew Yogurt parfaits are an especially easy and fast breakfast treat. They look so elegant but really quite simple to make. You can prepare the yogurt the day before, and then layer your favorite fruits into parfaits the next morning. Put them in special cups or parfait glasses and the kiddos think it’s very fancy. (My wee girl said “this is the best day ever“!) 🙂

The parfaits start with Vanilla Cashew Yogurt. When I wrote LTEV I used storebought vegan yogurts in several of the recipes – the Creamed Cheese Brownies, the Gluten-Free Chocolate Yogurt Cake, and the Banana Butter Pie (I have GOT to get that recipe and photos up for you)! I went a little overboard offering allergy-friendly and storebought substitutions with LTEV, so I decided to include a homemade yogurt recipe.

This Vanilla Yogurt is not exactly like storebought brands. It’s not cultured with probiotics. What it does offer is the characteristic tang and texture of a plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt. While it doesn’t include the priobiotics, you can easily add your own probiotics when eating. (I add probiotics to storebought vegan yogurts all the time!). Just open a capsule of whatever probiotic you are using, and stir it into the yogurt.

Enjoy this yogurt straight up or as a topping for granola, baked goods, or to layer in breakfast parfaits. Here, they are layered with fresh kiwi, nectarines, and blueberries. Many other fruits could be used, and in the fall an apple/pear/orange combination would be tremendous! You could also layer in homemade granola for an even heartier breakfast (or snack).

In a high-powered blender, puree all ingredients until very smooth. If using a standard blender, this may take a few minutes, and scraping down the sides a few times throughout. Serve, or store in an airtight container. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Kid-Friendly Notes:

I created this yogurt primarily as a substitute for premade yogurts in my recipes (ex: BF Blueberry Muffins, Fresh Orange Cake). As such, it isn’t overly sweet. Feel free to make it a little more fun for your little ones, by stirring in extra maple syrup, or try a few spoonfuls of a berry, peach, or other fruit jam.

Also note that this yogurt is nutritious for little ones that might not otherwise eat nuts or nut butters because of textural issues – nuts being too hard, and nut butters too sticky. This recipe brings cashews into a pudding-like form that can you can customize with extra flavor and sweetness!

If This Apron Could Talk:

Use 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice for use in recipes, and if you’d like it tangier for eating straight, add the extra lemon juice to taste.

Probiotics Note: Feel free to add probiotics (by breaking open acapsule), and stir into this yogurt.

Shout-out again to Emma Potts for these exceptionally delicious photographs! I’ll be back soon (fingers crossed) with a Summer Chickpea Salad!

Fourth of July and Canada Day (July 1st) seem to launch summer – the food, the picnics, BBQs, and kids breaking from school. For us, summer essentially started two weeks ago. Our teachers went on strike, so the kids abruptly left school two weeks early. Our girls will be going into grades 8, 5, and kindergarten in September. Our eldest had her grade 7 graduation this year, and our youngest her preschool graduation. Milestones. There’s been a lot going on to wrap up our school year, and I’ve enjoyed some simpler with the girls these past couple of weeks. (Not completely simple as we just got a pup, more on that in another post!) 🙂

With the kids home unexpectedly early, training a new pup, and also getting ready for the cover shoot for my next book (this Sunday, more on that in another post too), I’ve really enlisted their help with more work around the house, including some of the food prep. The older girls mostly, as it’s far more productive, and they are really curious about ingredients and the process. For instance, one of their favorite lunches is a quinoa bowl. I usually speedily prepare it, but lately I’ve had them take turns. As busy as it can be in the kitchen (we don’t have a ton of counterspace), it’s really enjoyable. Feeling in the moment with them, enjoying the simplicity of preparing easy, tasty, healthy food. That’s been lovely. Mind you, there’s a little competition going on regarding whose quinoa tastes best! Geez! Well, better than squabbling over toys.

We also tried a new burger recipe, discussing what ingredients and flavors might work together well. Eldest girl is quite artistic so she was drawing characters on our recipe plan. That recipe still needs some development. 😉 But this burger recipe does not! These Lentil Walnut-Apple Burgers are tucked away in the burgers chapter in LTEV. I wanted to show people in that chapter just how fantastically delicious whole foods vegan burgers can be! Our family loves these, and I think the kids quite enjoy the small bites of sweet apple inside the otherwise very savory burger (as do I). Don’t skip the apple, I promise it works!

Along with the burgers, I’m sharing my recipe “Almonnaise”. It’s a fresh take on mayonnaise, made by blending presoaked almonds with a few essential seasonings. No, it doesn’t taste quite like mayonnaise. Nor like vegennaise. It tastes different, but I think that different is better. With a creamy, rich texture and more-ish flavor that you expect from mayonnaise – just fresher and healthier. Scrumptious on veggie burgers and sandwiches, but also wonderful in green wraps, baked spuds, and wherever you’d like a dollop of creamy/salty/rich sauce. I love it, but then those of you that have LTEV know that I am a little saucy.

These burgers will be a hit year-round, and especially for your Fourth of July and Canada Day BBQs and celebrations. Enjoy! (p.s. If you’re looking for a festive dessert, this pie was a hit for many folks last year.)

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the water/oil. Add the add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and let cook 7-8 minutes until onions have softened. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the cooked lentils, worcestershire sauce, miso, thyme, sage, basil and salt, and blend through. When onion mixture is ready, add this to the food processor and puree through again, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add the oats and walnuts, and pulse through a few times to break up the walnut (but not fully pulverize, leave in a rough chop). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add apple and mix through until well combined. At this point, you can refrigerate mixture until ready to fry in patties (refrigerating for at least 1⁄2 hour will make it firmer and easier to form). Take scoops of the mixture and form into patties with your hands. In a non-skillet over medium-high heat (use a wipe of oil unless you have a very good non-stick pan), add the patties, flatten gently on the pan, and fry for 6-9 minutes on each side, until golden and a crust has developed; flip them over only once or twice (the second side will cook quicker than the first).

Saute Note: Some days you might want to skip the step of sautéing the onions and garlic. If you’re having one of those days, simply toss the onion and garlic in with the dry lentils and water (see lentil cooking note below), and cook through while the lentils simmer. You can omit the oil and salt, and simply add a titch more salt with the puree (lightly round the ¼ tsp salt in the pureed mix).

Leftovers? Use leftover patties in sandwiches, much like a pate, or crumble and add to other fixings in a pita or wrap sandwich.

Oats Note: For ground steel cut oats, simply add steel cut oats to a food processor or blender and process until very fine, like a coarse flour. If you don’t have steel cut oats, you can substitute quick oats for the ground steel cut oats. These burgers form patties that will hold together, but are still fairly soft. For firmer burgers, add another ¼ – 1/3 cup of oats.

Lentils Note: If cooking lentils yourself, use about 3/4 cup dry lentils to about 1 ¾ – 2 cups water. Add a bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer covered for about 35 minutes or longer, until lentils are tender and the water is mostly absorbed. If the lentils are tender but there is extra water, either drain off the water, or remove cover and simmer until water has evaporated). Of course, feel free to use canned or packaged cooked lentils in a pinch!

Apple Note: You can also grate the apple for the mixture if you prefer. Use a large-holed grater, and then toss the grated apple with the lemon juice as per directions. Also, if refrigerating the mix for more than ½ – 1 hour, reserve the apples. This mixture can be refrigerated up to a day or two in advance, however, the apples will lose their texture and taste if they sit in the mixture that long. So, if preparing burgers in advance, you can prepare the entire mixture and refrigerate, and then stir in the chopped apple later, before getting ready to pan-fry the patties.

This thick, rich sauce can easily take the place of mayo for your favorite burgers or in sandwiches. You might just find yourself topping it on just about everything, from baked spuds to pasta, beans and rice, or just a big ol’ dollop on a raw salad. Make a double-batch (see note); it is thatgood! Makes about 1 cup, single-batch.

Using a blender or immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all ingredients (starting with 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp of water) until very, very smooth, scraping down sides as needed. (A high-powered blender works best to achieve a smooth consistency, but a standard blender or immersion blender can step in, just takes a little longer to smooth.) If texture is very thick, add another 1-2 tablespoons of water (or more, if needed). I like this mixture fairly thick, so if you want to thin it out more, go ahead and add more water until you have your desired consistency.

Almonds Note: Soaking almonds makes them softer for pureeing, and will give a little creamier consistency (plus make the blending easier). If you don’t have time to soak the almonds, go ahead and still use ¾ cup of raw almonds – and just add more water. You will need to start with ½ cup, and then add another tablespoon or two if needed to get the mixture blended and thinned out a little. I use raw almonds that have the skins intact, so this ‘naise has some flecks of color from the almond skins. If you don’t want this color, feel free to use blanched almonds, or remove the almond skins after soaking (it’s easy, they slip off)!

Double-Batch Note: The blender has an easier time working through this mixture if you double the batch. It’s not essential, but if you think you will use it up within 4-5 days, consider a double whammy!

Kid-Friendly: I love this ‘naise best with the dill seed and also the dried mustard, but our kids like it without the dill (or celery seed) and dried mustard. Also, our children like the addition of just 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast to this mix – give it a try!

Ever taste something, love it, and later discover that it contained an ingredient that you were pretty darn sure you didn’t like?

If you’re a parent, you may have intentionally done this to ‘sneak’ in a particular food with your kiddos. But, ever have the experience where it happens naturally? Just serving the food and forgetting… if even for a rare but blissful moment… that one of your kiddos might reject it because it contains ____ or ____ or (go ahead, fill in the blanks)!

Yes, us mommas are well acquainted with picky eaters food preferences. With our own three girls, there are dozens of foods that one likes and the other does not. Our list includes berries (my long-time readers already know this one!), olives, asparagus, mangoes, red peppers, and mushrooms for starters. Sometimes the food preferences shift one year to the next. Unfortunately, artichokes have been on this list for some time.

I love artichokes. So does hubby, and our eldest daughter. Our youngest is in a particularly picky stage (oh joy) and our 9 year old has never taken a liking to artichokes. I don’t use them as often as I’d like in weekly meals for this reason, and yet every time I do use them I think “why am I not using artichokes more often, I love them?“! But I know why, I don’t want to pick them out of servings or see them go to waste.

Well, when I created this Artichoke and White Bean Dip for LTEV, a food miracle occurred. I first simply called it “hummus”, and put it on the table. It’s busy enough with recipe testing and keeping up with this family’s appetite, that the details of food aren’t always important. Just need to get – it – on – the – table. And fast! This was one of those days. As we were eating, our middle girl soon announced how much she looooved this new hummus. Once I realized she was eating artichokes (!!!), I decided not to say anything immediately, but just make the dip again another day.

So I did. So she ate it again, and asked for it again. In fact, the whole family asked for it again, devouring it in a sitting (sigh, must remember to double-batch). Afterwards I casually mentioned to her “oh, I forgot to tell you, that hummus had some artichokes in it… hey, you liked it anyway!” She shrugged her shoulders and said “I guess so”. That was that. No fuss, just a brief puzzled look on her face (and probably some suspicions that mommy pulled a fast one). But, all was fine – and she continues to eat the dip!

She still won’t eat artichokes whole or in noticeable pieces, but I guess the moral of this post is sometimes we just need to serve the food. Not have expectations for what they might like or not like. Not try to explain that they might like it because… or they will like it if we add this to it… or take that out… etc etc. If it tastes great, it tastes great! They may not even notice the artichokes, olives, or berries. Scratch berries. One girl I know will always notice those! 🙂

I often say the same about vegan food in general. If it tastes fabulous and is satisfying, do we really care about what’s not in there? No, it just tastes wonderful! So enjoy the good food for what it is… deeeelicious!

Now, if you do love artichokes, you’ll really, really love this dip. Somewhat like hummus but with quite a twist. Plus, some of you that asked about a nut-free alternative to my Creamy Artichoke Spinach Dip – this White Bean Artichoke Dip is a great one to try. It’s not baked, but you could bake it, in fact I enjoy it a little warm. Maybe even top it off with a few olives for the fam! I kid.

Artichoke dip is always one of those more-ish kinds of dips, and I’ve made several recipes over the years. This one borrows creaminess from white beans, and a cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast. It is especially delicious gently warmed, and then slathered on pitas or other breads. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

2 cups artichoke hearts (I use frozen, blanched in boiling water for about 8-10 minutes, then drained, see note)

After blanching/draining artichokes, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste, and season to taste with extra lemon juice/salt, etc, as desired. Serve straight away, or transfer to an oven-proof dish and heat until just warm and a little golden on top!

Ingredients 411: Frozen artichokes have a much better flavor than canned, so opt for frozen if possible. Don’t use the artichokes that are jarred and marinated in an oil/vinegar liquid – their flavor is too strong, even if rinsed.

Serving Suggestions: Try using this dip as a layer in lasagna, or to stuff pasta shells.

Photo credit: Emma Potts.

Have you had a food experience like this yourself, or with your kiddos? Have you tried this dip? Share your stories!

Hello friends. I’m officially back to blogging! I was very touched by your heartfelt comments on my last post. I read them all, quite a few times. Your kindness reached me during a rough time. Thank you.

I’ve had some personal insights in the last couple of months. My journey has just begun. I have more to learn and absorb, yet I am feeling far more optimistic, supported, and peaceful. I realize this sounds very vague. What I’ve discovered and am discovering is not easily put into words for a blog post. At least not right now. What I can say is that this process is helping me live with more awareness. Some days are easier than others, as it’s a process. Still, it’s allowing me to appreciate and respect who I am, and learn to make choices that are in alignment with this new understanding.

As obscure as this might seem, one thing that is very clear: my work is very much a part of me. So, I am most certainly continuing, with some changes. These changes may not even be obvious for you all, and will hopefully help me work with more balance.

Finally, in returning to blogging my intention is to share delicious plant-based recipes for you to enjoy, without judgement. Most of us judge ourselves harshly in one or more areas of our lives. I’m not immune to this judgement, these past months have helped me recognize that. I hope to present my recipes and ideas to you in a place that feels welcoming and encouraging so I can continue to share nourishing foods that will satisfy and delight!

With that, my return to blogging begins with this Peanut Thai Vegetable Stew from Let Them Eat Vegan. It is full-flavored and will infuse a little exotic into your weekday meals. Many of you have reached out to tell me how much you love this dish, so I wanted to share it while the weather (for most of us) is still a little cool. Enjoy… 🙂

In a soup pot over medium heat, add the water, onion, garlic, yams, salt, coriander seeds, and red pepper flakes. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes. While cooking, prepare the lemongrass. Cut off the lower yellow bulbous portion (about halfway), and remove the outer tough leaves (discard outer leaves along with upper portion of stalk). Using your chef’s knife ‘bruise’ this bulbous portion. Cut a few shallow slits in the stalk and then use pressure on your knife to open and bruise the stalk, to help release its flavors (do not chop the stalk, keep in one piece). Add the lemongrass, zucchini, bell pepper, stock, water, coconut milk, peanut butter (start with ½ cup + 1 tbsp), tamari, and fresh ginger. Stir through and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low/medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. After this time, add the tofu (see note) and gently stir through. Simmer covered for another 3-5 minutes, or longer until yams have completely softened and can be easily squished. Add the fresh spinach and lime juice (start with 2½ tbsp, and add more if desired), stir through and serve immediately (so spinach stays a vibrant green color). Taste, and if you’d like a full peanut flavor, add the remaining 1 tbsp of peanut butter, or more if desired. Remove piece of lemongrass before serving. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro if desired, and with a lime wedge to squeeze juices on individual portions. Serves 4-5.

Ingredients 411:

1) You can use the orange-flesh tubers that are most commonly known as yams in Canada (but as sweet potatoes in the US), or you can use the yellow flesh tubers most often labeled as sweet potatoes in Canada.

2) You can choose to use either the full package of tofu, or a lesser amount to your preference. If you’d like a very substantial stew, use the full package (or most of it). If you’d like a lighter stew with fewer pieces of tofu, use roughly ½ of the package, and refrigerate the remaining tofu (tightly wrapped in plastic).

Savvy Subs and Adds:
If you don’t care for tofu, add a can of black beans (rinsed/drained first; roughly 1 3/4 – 2 cups). The beans will give similar hearty substance as the tofu.

It This Apron Could Talk: Do not add the spinach until just ready to serve. If making this soup ahead of time, omit the spinach and then reheat soup, adding the spinach for last minute and then serve!

Have you made this stew yet? If so, please share how you enjoy it!

It’s good to be back, thanks for all of your support. And, shout-out to Emma Potts for the glorious food photos!